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Tuesday, 12 August 2014

10 Acts To Catch At Electric Picnic, 2014, Part 2

And so on to Part Deux, and the next 5 lesser known acts that might be worth trundling along to at Stradbally at the end of the month.....6) Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Neo-psychedelia, pop-rock, call it what you will, these guys pack bang for their buck all across the board, a 360 degree sonic boom that will leave your head spinning, even from a position of complete sobriety. Transcendence is the key here, so if you're stuck with a group of people with splintered taste in music, this may well be the act that brings you all together in a rapturous joy....or something to that effect.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra, 'FFunny FFriends'

Albums to check out: Unknown Mortal Orchestra (2011), ll (2013)

7) The Blades - Dublin band, The Blades, were formed in 1977 and were Ireland's answer to The Clash (whether intentionally or not) who played their part in the mod revival era. Unashamedly working-class, The Blades played the less frequented venues of the city at the time such as The Magnet on Pearse Street (now a Spar) and McGonagle's on South Anne Street (now the Hackett London fine clothes emporium!). After splitting up in 1986, the band reformed briefly for two nights at The Olympia last December, Electric Picnic may be one of the last chances to see these cult heroes live.

The Blades, 'The Bride Wore White' - poor sound :(

Albums to check out: Raytown Revisited (1985), The Last Man In Europe (1986)

8) Perfume Genius - There are way too many singer / songwriters and folky types around these days it's impossible to keep track of them all, but one of my stand out favourites from the last few years has been the hauntingly beautiful Iowan, Mike Hadreas, aka, Perfume Genius. Contemplative, sad and uplifting, this fella will be a good call for anyone doing some deep soul searching at Picnic after a (few) hard night(s), or maybe if you just want something to soothe your headache. He has a new album out at the end of September too so it'll be a chance to hear a sneak peak while you're at it.

Perfume Genius, 'All Waters'

Albums to check out: Put Your Back N 2 It (2012)

9) Vancouver Sleep Clinic - My dark horse for Electric Picnic and beyond. Very much like Bon Iver, but very much standing on his own two feet, Australian Tim Bettinson, aka Vancouver Sleep Clinic, only released his debut 6-track EP, Winter, in March of this year. Growing up on his father's collection of Eagles and Fleetwood Mac records, his turning point came when he stumbled across the aforementioned Bon Iver, and Sigur Rós, citing For Emma Forever Ago and Valtari respectively as key albums in driving him towards producing his own music. Tim is 18, and Tim knows how to mix his electronic R&B.

Vancouver Sleep Clinic, 'Collapse'

Albums to check out: Winter (EP) (2014)

10) Young Fathers - Finishing on a strong note and a highly recommended one is UK hip-hop act Young Fathers. Thumping beats, great vocals and a driving rhythm combined to great effect on their first two albums, Tape One and Tape Two, admittedly I haven't heard anything from the new album, Dead, but by all accounts it seems to have kept the quality of the first two going. Though with some acts it can be hard to tell if they can pull off a good live show, the club-like energy of Young Fathers' music and reviews of past performances make them one of the more reliable destinations at this years Electric Picnic.